Mystery of the Dimensions
by Shadow of the Dragons
Summary: When the Teku are sent to a whole knew world, things couldn't get much worse, right? Well, what happens when a girl from that world stumbles across the Teku? And why does she know so much about them? Disclaimer: I don't own Acceleracers!
1. Character Bio

Authors note.

Hi. This is another Acceleracers fic. It does not have any connection to my other acceleracers fics, aka the Jade Raven arc. Let me repeat: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY OTHER ACCELERACERS FICS! Now, just a brief summary.

The Teku and the Maniacs are looking for Vert, when the Teku are split up and transported to a parallel dimension where the Realms exist as fiction stories. (AKA, our world.) So what happens when they encounters a local girl?

Pairings: NoloXOC; KarmaX Taro; one-sided MonkeyXLani.

Now for the OC star of this fic.

Mistaria-Ashley Takamaru (Pronounced mis-STAR-e-a ASH-lee tar-uh-MA-coo)

Nicknames: Mist, Ash, Misty.

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Eye color: Charcoal gray with bronze flecks

Hair color: pitch black with natural blue highlights. It's really long, down to the back of her knees.

Build: lithe and lean, but don't let that fool you. She's wicked strong

Skin tone: pale with a light tan. (Same color as Nolo's)

Family: twin sister Ashley (deceased), Father, Mother (Often gone due to work), older brother Derrick (moved out of the house years ago, rarely visits.).

Height: 5'9"

Weight: like I'm gonna tell you that.

Likes: racing, big cats, dragons, Action/RPG videogames, working on her vehicles, annoying the Maniacs, Techno music, cars, fantasy novels, Nolo, rest of the Teku, fighting, the realms, hot wheels movies, her twin sister

Hobbies: racing, playing her violin, reading, working on her cars, painting, creating art, drawing

Attitude: she's kind of a punk. Drops endings, uses ain't, brash, bold, daring, a daredevil. She's always ready for a fight, or a race. Gets riled up easily, has a short temper, easy to upset, et cetera. Loves Techno music, as well as some rock and rap. Likes her music, and likes it LOUD!

Mentality: get it done ASAP. Always give it your best. Never go down without a fight. Don't give your enemy any info or advantages. No matter what, don't lose. Always Win.

Clothing:

When Nolo first meets her, she's wearing a tiger t-shirt and blue jeans.

Afterwards, her outfit consists of this:

Black lace up motorcycle boots, black jeans, black leather jacket, black fingerless brace/glove on her left hand, black T shirt with the sleeves ripped off. Her hair is held back by bandannas that are tie died in dark blues, greys, blacks, and bronze and silver. She wears bronze and silver chain jewelry. When she wears make up, it's black eyeliner and mascara done in a cat's eye fashion, with bronze, silver, of black eye shadow depending on her mood. No lipstick or blush.

When she does her nails their done in blue, bronze, grey, black, and silver. She also files them so they have a slight point.

After she joins Teku, she adds the Teku logo to her shirt and the back of her jacket, and blue stripes on the side of her jeans. She also adds pockets similar to the kind Nolo and Vert have.

Her racing helmet is styled like Shirako's, with her clothing color scheme.

Her vehicles

Flash Leopard

It's a motorcycle. Color scheme matches her clothes. Has a twin engine, later gets a paint job with Teku on it. Gets nitrox boosters and EDR added, as well as drone and anti grav tires.

Blizzard Tiger

Hover board given to her by an Acceleron. Same color scheme as her clothes. Nitrox booster and EDR device. EDR brings the board out of the realm with her

Cynder Jaguar

Her car. Same color scheme as the others, similar in style to Synkro. Nitrox and EDR, and drone tires. No anti-grav tires on this.

PS. If I switch from 3rd person to 1st person, I'll let you know. But I don't anticipate that happening. I like writing in 3rd person; in first person I use too many 'I's'


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter one: where am I?**

The orange vehicle careens through the trees, the driver unable to control it. Opening the door, he undo's his seatbelt and lunges out of it. He hates to abandon his car, but he'll follow it. Assuming it doesn't blow up.

At least, that's what he wanted to do.

Unfortunately, he jumped out right over a pit. Tumbling down through it, he came to a complete and sudden stop when he hit the cold hard ground. The boy groaned once, then his eyes slid shut.

…...

The orange vehicle finally came to a stop in front of the mouth of a cave. It did not blow up, but sat there, engine stalling and idling. Then a girl came riding a motorcycle down the path that lead to the cave. She frowned when she noticed the car.

"That's odd." She murmured. "No one ever comes here. Oh well, it's none of my business." With that, she walked into the cave.

…...

The boy groaned and sat up, revealing he had hazel eyes with messy black hair. Climbing to his feet, he looked around.

"Where am I?" he asked aloud. "And what about Karma, or Kurt, or Shirako? And the Metal Maniacs? And Tezla, and Lani? Where'd they go?" Thinking it over, he decided to try and find them.

"I didn't expect anyone else to be down here." turning around, the boy saw a girl standing there. She seemed to be a blend of Latino and Japanese, with long blue black hair that fell to her knees and slightly bronzed skin like his own. But the startling thing about her was her eyes. They were a steely grey, with bronze flecks in them, and seemed to shimmer in the dark. Or were they reflecting the light, like a cat's? He couldn't decide. She had on ripped blue jeans, and a faded black t-shirt with a white tiger on it. The two studied each other for a minute.

"That car out there yours?" he frowned. She sighed. "Orange with blue details? Slightly dinged up?" the boy nodded.

"Yep, that's mine."

"It's a nice car. C'mon, let's get outta here." she turned and walked away. Shrugging, the boy followed her.

…...

Soon the pair made their way out of the cave. The boy turned to the girl.

"What's your name?"

"What's yours?" She shot back.

"Nolo Pasero, leader of the Teku." She looked at him, then at the car, then laughed. Nolo frowned. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

"I admit, ya almost had me for a sec. Your costume is that good. And the car is a nice touch."

"What're you talking about?" Nolo asked, confused.

"I don't know where the nearest cosplay convention is, but you'll hafta go several miles south. If ya gimme a sec, I could look it up for ya."

"I'm no cosplayer. I'm the leader of the Teku!" Nolo said heatedly. The girl shook her head.

"Yeah, yeah, whateva." She said. "That joke is so old. Anyone who's seen the movies knows that the Teku and the Metal Maniacs and the drones don't exist. They're made up. Fake. Fiction."

"What movies?" Nolo questioned suspiciously. His companion shrugged and pulled something out of her bag. Tossing it to him, she shrugged.

"See for yourself." He looked down. The case advertised a four movie set. Hot Wheels Acceleracers. The movie titles were Ignition, the Speed of Silence, Breaking Point, and the Ultimate Race. Pictures of him, Tork, Vert, Wylde, and Kurt were on the covers. It was a little freaky. Alright, more than a little freaky.

She took in his expression as he handed the case back to her. "Judgin from the look on your face, ya have never seen these before, correct?" Nolo shook his head. He had never seen them before in his life. Something snapped in the woods. Both Nolo and the girl turned to see a drone coming out. Seeing the two, it went into attack mode.

"Destroy all the humans." It said flatly; and charged towards the pair. Nolo swept its legs out from underneath it. Acting reflexively, the girl brought her fists down on its head in a double handed punch. The head separated, revealing sparking wires. The girl looked at it in shock, then at Nolo, then at the car, then back at Nolo.

"This thing ain't fake…" she muttered. "Then what ya told me was…" she trailed off, then shook her head. "We betta get outta here." she said in a brusque manner. "My house is a five minute drive from here. We can crash there for a while, and ya gotta get those cuts bandaged up."

"Um…okay." Nolo replied. He climbed into SpecTyte, while the girl mounted a motorcycle that was leaned against a tree. Starting the vehicles, the pair tore off down the road.

…...

The girl, Nolo still didn't know her name, led him to a modest two story home. The two parked in the driveway, and the girl unlocked the house. "There's food in the pantry." She called as she darted upstairs. "Help yourself. I'll be down in a minute, I just gotta change my clothes." The sound of a door slamming ended the conversation. Nolo stood awkwardly in the middle of a kitchen, not really sure what to do.

'What the heck.' He thought as his brain finally caught up with the events that had happened. 'I'm in the house of a girl I just met that I know nothing about, in a place where the Realms and the racers and the gangs are all fiction movies.'

"You can sit down, ya know. Not like your gonna break anything." The Latino turned to see the girl standing behind him. She had changed into an all-black outfit: jeans, t-shirt, leather jacket, one handed fingerless brace on her left wrist, heavy lace up motorcycle boots. Cats eye makeup, bronze and silver chain jewelry, and black and bronze nails are her accessories. Nolo noticed nervously that each of her nails is filed to a slight point. She tosses him a first aid kit, then sits down in a chair, adjusting the tie-died black and cobalt blue bandanna that holds her bangs back from her face as she did so.

"Oh fer heaven's sake, sit down, Nolo." She sighed, gesturing to the chair opposite her. He sat down, and began bandaging a nasty cut on his wrist.

"Who're you, anyway?" Nolo asked.

"Takamaru, Misty Takamaru." She replied. "But you can call me Mist for short. Sorry for not believing ya earlier. But it sounded a little crazy at the time." Nolo nodded, accepting the apology. "So where's the rest o' your crew?"

"No idea." Nolo muttered sadly. He was worried about his team.

"Can ya contact 'em with the radio in your car?"

"I would, but it got trashed."

"Do ya know the frequency it runs on?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be back." she stood and left the room. Returning a few minutes later, she plunked two things down on the table: a metal box and a laptop computer. Pulling out a chair, she sat down next to the Latino and began hooking wires together. Opening a program, she began entering stuff onto it.

"What's the frequency?" Nolo told her, and she entered more things. A burst of static came over the speakers. "Yo, anyone hear me?"

"Who's that?" a boy's voice

"Nolo, that you?" a girls voice

"Yo, Nolo, where are you man?" another boy. Mist sat back and nodded at Nolo.

"Kurt, Karma, Shirako!" He said. "What's happening?"

"No clue." Kurt said. "Does anyone know where we are? Cause I don't."

"Me either." Karma replied. Nolo frowned. Mist thought for a moment.

"Pull over and find a landmark. It can be anything, a street intersection, a store, whatever."

"Yo, who're you?" Shirako asked.

"Just do it." Mist replied.

"I'm at the intersection of Griner and Maple." Kurt said.

"Lincoln and Comstock." Shirako muttered, music pulsing in the background.

"I'm currently at the intersection of Prospect and Birch." Karma stated.

Mist nodded, processing this information and pulling up another computer program. Typing in some information, she grinned in satisfaction as something popped up.

"Okay, listen up. Kurt, you hang a left on Griner, then a right onto Terral. Pull into the parking lot of Armon Elementary. Shirako, keep on going up Lincoln. You'll go to the same place. Karma, continue on Prospect, then hang a quick left onto Elmwood. Then turn onto Terral. You'll end up at Armon Elementary school, too. Anyone need their directions repeated." Hearing no response, she smiled.

"Okay. Remember, no speeding. And Shirako, no loud music."

"Aww man." The connection was cut. Mist started disconnecting the wires.

"What're you going to do now, Mist?" Nolo asked. She shrugged.

"Tell ya how ta get ta Armon from here. Then you'll go off and be back with your buddies."

"What about you?" Nolo asked again.

"Stay here. Not like there's anything else I can do. Dad won't lemme race, and I don't got anywhere else ta stay."

Nolo thought for a minute. 'Should I? Yeah, I will.' Looking up, he caught her gaze.

"You want to come with us? Be a Teku?"

"Ya mean that, man? Ya really want me on your team?" Nolo nodded.

"Yeah, I do. We gotta a simulator you could use to practice for when the realms open again. And I bet you're pretty good on that motorcycle you have." He said in a rush. Mist thought it over for a minute.

"Yeah. All I gotta do is tell my dad that I got a business offer, and that I'll be gone for a while. So yeah, I'll go. That is, if ya want me."

"I do." Nolo replied confidently. Mist nodded.

"'Kay, gimme five minutes to pack, and I'll be ready ta leave." She replied as she exited out of the program. Nolo noticed the exquisitely detailed background, depicting a phoenix rising from an erupting volcano.

"That's a neat background you got." He said.

"Thanks. I drew it myself." Mist replied.

"You did?" Nolo asked, mildly impressed.

"Uh huh." She stated, pulling up a web page. "I draw a lot. The rest of my work's on here. Feel free to take a look at it. I'm gonna go pack." With that, she left, grabbing a black one-shoulder bag as she did so. Shrugging, Nolo started scrolling through the pages, looking at the pictures. They were really good. He was surprised to find sketches of himself and the rest of the racers in there among the fantasy and videogame drawings. Then Mist walked back into the room.

"I just need ta shut this down." She said. "Then I'll be ready ta go." She began turning the machine off. Nolo glanced into her bag. There were some clothes and hygiene supplies, a violin, books, car manuals, drawing pads, and for some reason, two stuffed dogs. Mist finished with the laptop and placed it in the bag. Noticing Nolo's confused look she sighed.

"You're wondering about the dogs, right." Nolo nodded. "They belonged to my identical twin, Ashley. She died in a crash a few years back. Fire destroyed most of the stuff she owned a couple of months after. Aside from a few pictures, they're all I got left o' her."

Abruptly she stopped. "Let's go. We don't wanna keep the others waitin." Nolo nodded, and the two walked outta the house. Mist locked the door behind her, then grabbed a helmet. It was styled similar to Shirako's. She climbed onto the bike and started the engine. "Follow me."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Reuniting**

Karma, Kurt, and Shirako were already there when Nolo and Mist pulled up. The Teku leader was greeted enthusiastically by his teammates. It was Shirako who noticed the newcomer first.

"Yo, who's she?" He asked.

"Takamaru, Misty Takamaru." She replied. "Mist fer short."

"What's she doing here?" Kurt asked.

"I offered her a place on the team. Not to replace Vert, but as a full-fledged Teku member." Nolo responded.

"How'd you meet her?" Karma wondered. "And why do people keep asking us if we're cosplayers?"

Nolo and Mist quickly brought the others up to speed on what had happened. The other Teku were shocked to discover that they were in a world where they were fiction characters. Then Shirako asked the obvious question.

"Yo, what do we do now?" the Asian asked.

Mist shrugged.

"I don't have any ideas. Anyone else got a pla-aaaaaah" she was cut off as white light enveloped the drivers and their cars. Then they vanished.

…...

The drivers appeared in the Acceledrome, scaring the heck out of Lani and Tezla. After introductions were made, Mist turned to Nolo.

"Where's the simulator? I'll go through a Realm right now, ta prove I'm good enough to be a Teku. I know the others won't accept me till I prove myself."

"It's this way." Nolo and the team led Mist over to the simulator machine. (AN: what Karma races the drone on during the water realm.). Mist hooked her bike onto it, then climbed on. Kurt, Karma, and Shirako were setting up the computer next to it, recording the realm and letting them view the virtual race. Nolo handed Mist a helmet.

"It's set for the Storm Realm." He said. "Remember, relax and stay focused. Any questions?"

"Yeah, where's the sound system on this thing?" she asked.

"There isn't one. It's programmed to run the simulation sounds." Kurt said. Mist scowled.

"Bummer." She muttered. "Oh well, here goes nothin." She placed the helmet on her head. Karma started the simulation program. Mist started her bike, and onscreen, the drivers watched as she entered the portal. …...

Mist landed on the track and zoomed down it, popping a wheelie as she did so. For a while, all was calm, she looped round the loop and gave a whoop of delight when she went zooming down the vertical drop. Then the drones appeared and started attacking. One pulled up alongside her, and she glared at it.

"Hey, metal head." She said. "Ya ever play a game called chicken?" without waiting for the machines response, she sped up and put a few hundred feet between her and the drone. Pulling a sharp turn, she drove back towards the incoming robot.

The two sped towards each other, drawing closer and closer. Kurt raised an eyebrow. This girl was certainly bold. The distance shortened. 50 feet…40…30…20…10…

At five feet away, the drone swerved right. Mist grinned, then pulled another sharp turn, pushing the drone off the track. Speeding up again, Mist sped down the track, entering the lightning bolt laced parts of the track. She dodged several bolts, but one got her. Thinking fast, she slammed a foot into the ground, and the electricity coursed through her body and into the track. Breathing a sigh of relief, she knocked more drones into the lightning rods. Popping another wheelie, she sailed through the portal, exiting the simulation.

Pulling the helmet off, she sighed and stretched. Over by the computer, the other Teku were in the midst of a conversation. Apparently reaching a decision, they turned to the girl.

"Welcome to the Teku." Nolo said, extending a hand. Mist grinned and shook it. "You should probably start upgrading your bike, or building a car. The nitrox tanks are in the lower levels." Then Lani ran up.

"Nolo, Kurt, Shirako, Karma." She said. "Dr. Tezla needs you in the conference room." The others looked at mist.

"I'll be fine, so don't worry." She replied. "Not like I'm gonna do anything bad."

"Okay." Kurt replied. The five left, while Mist turned back to her motorcycle.

"Lemme see, first I'll need some nitrox tanks…" she muttered. In the background, she heard some cars pulling into the next garage over, but she ignored them. Probably the Metal Maniacs. Pulling her bike into an empty slot, next to Nolo's car, she lifted it up on a hydraulic lift. Now to grab the parts she would need. Deciding to get the fuel tanks first, she darted off into the compound. When she neared the tunnel that lead to the lower levels, she took a sharp turn…

Only to crash into someone. Wylde and Pork Chop were shocked when the unfamiliar girl crashed into them. Now she lay on the ground, groaning. Picking herself up off the cement floor, she scowled.

"Why don'tcha watch where yer goin? Ya each got two eyes, use em'!" The two Maniacs stared at the girl. She bore no team symbol on her clothes, so that could only mean one thing. She was an intruder. Moving fast, Wylde hoisted the girl off the floor by the back of her T-shirt.

"Let's take her to Tezla." Pork Chop said. Wylde snorted.

"I say we lock her in a room." The younger Wylde replied. The girl scowled.

"Put me down, Markie." She snapped.

"How'd you know my name?" Wylde demanded. She ignored him, however. The men started walking through the halls, going to find Tezla. Markie was still carrying the girl by the back of her collar, and she didn't seem to appreciate that.

"Put me down." The Maniacs ignored her. "Put me down." Still they ignored her. Mist sighed and shook her head. "Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I'll say this one last time. Put me down, NOW." Still the pair of muscle bound men ignored her. She shrugged. "Fine, hard way it is. But don't say I didn't warn ya." And with that, she slammed her elbow into Markie's stomach.

He doubled over in pain, releasing the girl as he did so. Mist fell to the floor, using her momentum to sweep Pork Chop's feet out from underneath him as she did so. He did a face plant on the floor, and groaned. Wylde had recovered a little from being jabbed in the gut, but not enough to do anything. Mist looked at them for a minute before walking away, muttering under her breath.

Wylde and Pork Chop picked themselves up off the floor, determined to follow her. But they were halted by the sound of Tezla over the speakers.

"All drivers are to report to the conference room in one hour for a meeting."

In the hallways, Mist heard this. "A meeting, huh?" she muttered. "That oughta gimme enough time ta finish up the work on Flash Leopard." Continuing down the hall, she rounded the corner to see the rest of the Maniacs walking in the opposite direction. She gave a curt nod as she walked past. Taro returned the gesture, while Tork flashed a brief grin. Monkey looked confused.

"Who's that?" he asked. Taro and Tork shrugged. They had no idea. Mist continued on her way, grabbing some nitrox tanks and an EDR device, as well as some car parts. Returning to the motorcycle, she began her work, techno music blaring on her headphones.

The twin engines were recalibrated so the nitrox tanks would feed into them. Then some parts were added to increase its horse power, and its capacity to handle the 300 mph speeds. The EDR was installed on the dash board, and the old body was measured. A new one was built and placed onto the framework. Then she started on the paint job.

It was black, like her old ones, and a sleek cobalt blue flame design. But now she added TEKU and the gang symbols to it in bronze and silver. Then it was just a matter of a few minor adjustments, a few touch ups on the paint job, rewiring the dash board, filling up the fuel and nitrox tanks, and repainting her helmet with the Teku logos on the side. It helped calm the girl down. Working on her bike always did.

She had just put the finishing touches on the paint when Tezla's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Will all drivers please report to the conference room at this time?" Mist shrugged, then started off into the compound.

"Sure, I'll go. If I can find it, that is…"


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Maniacs and Doctors**

The drivers were all sitting down in the conference room, Teku on one side and Maniacs on the other. An empty chair was on the Teku side, next to Nolo. The rest of the team drivers kept on looking at it, and then at the door. Dr. Tezla cleared his throat.

"While I know not all of us our present…" he began, then stopped as the door opened. Every head turned to see Mist standing in the doorway.

"Sorry I'm late." She said. "I took a wrong turn." Markie's and Pork Chop's eyes widened in recognition.

"It's you!" Pork Chop blurted out.

"What're you doing here?" Wylde asked. Everyone looked at the two Maniacs, then at Mist, then back at the Maniacs. Finally it was Kurt who spoke up.

"You know each other?"

"Yeah. I literally ran into them earlier. They thought I was an intruder."

"And?" Tork prompted.

"They tried takin' me ta Tezla. So ta make a long story short, they ended up on the floor, and I went on my way ." there were several barely concealed laughs from both the Teku and the Maniacs. Taro looked to his teammates.

"You got beaten by a girl?" he asked. Pork Chop muttered something under his breath, while Wylde scowled. Monkey looked at the girl.

"Um, who are you?" he asked.

"Misty Takamaru." She said. "But I prefer to be called Mist." The Maniacs introduced themselves to the newcomer, then Nolo turned to her.

"How are the modifications going?"

"They're all finished." She replied, walking over to the empty chair and sitting down. "Flash Leopard's ready to race in the Realms at any time, boss."

"That is excellent news." Tezla said. "Now to business. Has anyone seen Vert?" the group quickly affirmed that no, none of them hadn't. "Okay. That makes this rather short. You are all to keep a close eye out for him. As you can see, the Wheel of Power hologram has been fixed. We are currently waiting to see if the realms will open again. Now, I am correct in assuming none of you know a lot about Mist here, correct?" they nodded. Tezla turned to Mist. "Then would you please introduce yourself."

Mist shrugged. "Whateva. My name's Mist Takamaru. I'm half Asian half Latino, and 19 years old. I recently joined Teku, and I drive the motorcycle Flash Leopard, although I'm startin work on a car. I can be a bit of a hot head, and I like techno music. Any questions?"

Then the alarms began to blare.

Tezla's eyes widened. "A realm is opening." He said, studying the hologram. "The Swamp Realm…"

"Now? But none of us have a vehicle that's able to enter the realms." Kurt said. "They're barely drivable as it is." Tezla shook his head.

"There is one." He replied, shooting a sidelong look at Mist. The reaction is instant and spontaneous. The room erupts in protest.

"You can't send a driver into the realms by herself." Tork protested.

"Especially the Swamp Realm," Taro added. "It's the most dangerous one."

"Yeah, and Mist has never raced in a Realm before." Kurt added. "Wouldn't it be better to have her go in with others so she can get help as needed?"

"The last three times someone went into the realm by themselves, they never came out." Lani muttered, recalling Banjee, Alec, and Dan.

"There is no way I'm sending any Teku into the Realms by them self." Nolo said, visibly outraged. Mist was listening to the argument, and took advantage of a momentary silence.

"I'll do it."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Swamp Realm Version 2.0 **

"I'll do it." The simple statement was enough to halt the others in their argument. Nolo opened his mouth to protest but Mist cut him off. "The Swamp Accelecharger is one of the most useful Accelechargers of them all. We need it, and we can't let the drones get it. I know the risks with the Swamp Realm. I know about the giant mosquitos and the swamp monster and the plant creatures and the dead ends and the movin vines. I know that Banjee was lost in that Realm. I know the risks. But the prize outweighs the risks." Here she paused, and looked at Nolo determinedly. "Please, Nolo. Let me race. It'll be good practice, and it will give the Maniacs a chance to see what I can do." Nolo looked down.

"I don't like this…" he muttered.

"Honestly, I would rather go in with another racer. But we can't always have what we want." The girl replied.

"Do you promise to remain online and to be careful?" the Teku leader asked.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." She replied, drawing an X over her heart as she did so. Nolo nodded once, giving his permission. Mist grinned, then ran out the door. Lani and Tezla left the room, followed by Tork and Nolo. Taro switched on the screens in the conference room so the remaining racers could watch Mist drive.

The group went to the control tower. Lani put on a headset, then turned to face Nolo as he grabbed one, too. "I want to remain in contact with Mist." He explained. Tork stood in the room as well, wanting to be there so he too could offer advice to the newcomer.

Down below, Mist had started up Flash Leopard and had pulled on her helmet. Switching on the sound system, she let a brief smile cross her face as the familiar techno beats assaulted her ears. Then a slight crackling noise, and Nolo's voice came over the comm link.

"You hear me Mist?"

"I read ya, boss. Lani, am I good ta go?"

"Yes. Your onboard cameras are working, and your bike checks out. Good luck."

"Thanks." With that, the last ring aligned with the others. The portal opened, and the girl sped onto the track. Orbiting the wheel, she accelerated to 300 mph. her heart was racing as she came up on the portal, but whether from nerves or excitement, she couldn't tell. The blue sphere grew closer and closer. Then there was a white flash and she was in the realm.

Landing on the track, she aligned herself into the middle, where the best traction was. Then, wasting no time, she zoomed off down the road.

"Which track do I take?" She asked.

"Just choose one." Tezla replied. Mist shrugged, then randomly turned onto the left hand one. It lead her over the water, and she could see the remains of a car partially sunk. Maybe it was Banjee's, the color scheme certainly matched. With a slight shudder, she recalled how Banjee had entered the Realm…and never came out.

She pushed that happy thought out of her head and focused on the road. Then there was a slight buzzing sound, and the next thing she knew, something jabbed her in the shoulder. Mist swerved, then looked down at her left limb. A tube like thing is there, wet with her blood. She followed the thing back to its source. A giant mosquito, a hideously mutated insect, stared back. The girl scowled.

"Go piggyback with someone else." She snarled, then punched it in the face. The mosquito refused to fly off, so Mist grabbed the proboscis to prevent it from stabbing her again. Looking ahead, she grinned…and ducked.

The bug smacked against the branch she had ducked to avoid, forcing the insect off her bike. The tubular mouth broke off, and Mist spared it a glance before pulling it out of her shoulder and throwing it away. The whole incident lasted less than five minutes.

"Mist, are you alright?" Nolo asked.

"Yeah, aside from the gapin hole in my shoulder." She replied, looking at the injury. It appeared to have missed her shirt, as well as any vital organs. But it was a bad wound, and crimson blood was leaking out of it. "Other than that, I'm still in one piece. But I'm gonna need ta bandage it up when I get back."

"Be careful, alright?" Lani said. "Try not to get any more injuries."

"Yeah, yeah, whateva." The newest Teku replied. She would be careful, but it wasn't like anyone else was in the Realm with her. No sign of the racing drones, or the Silencerz. That wasn't that bad of a thing.

Then the car slammed into her. It was purple and silver. A Silencer. Mist swerved and sped up, hoping her more nimble vehicle could outrun the car. But the man chasing her had other ideas. The car cackled, then released an electromagnetic pulse. It shocked her, shutting the bike down, as well as the cameras and the communications systems.

"Mist?" Nolo called over the comm system. "Mist, can you hear me?" there were the sounds of tires squealing and a loud crash. Then it was replaced by static. Lani fell back into her chair.

"We've…lost the signal…" she said unhappily.

"And the driver." Tezla replied, no concern or regret in his voice. Nolo's shoulders slumped, and he looked utterly defeated. Tork shook his head sadly. In the conference room, the others were shocked. Although none of them would have admitted it, they had grown fond of the bold girl, despite the fact that she had only met them that day. It just seemed…right that she was racing with them.

Back in the Realm, Mist spun out and crashed into the undergrowth. She lay there, unmoving, tangled up in her bike and the vines. The Silencer got out of his car, and pulled off his helmet, revealing a man of about 40 with blonde hair and blue eyes. He walked over to the winded girl and began untangling her from the vines. Two other Silencer cars appeared from thin air, and their drivers got out, removing their helmets as well. One was a girl of about twenty, who has long brown hair and hazel eyes. The other is a red headed boy of about the same age. They help the first man free the girl and her vehicle from the forest.

"I know Tezla was pretty focused on the prize during the world race." Says the redhead. "But sending unexperienced drivers into the realms by themselves? That's ridiculous!"

"You got that right, Finn," the girl replied, throwing a rough bandage around Mist's injured shoulder. "He's got no regards for other's lives now. It's a good thing we got Vert away from him before Tezla got his hands on the wisdom circle."

"Serpa! Berri! Enough chitchat!" the blonde man said. "We need to leave, she'll be waking in a few moments. And the electromagnetic pulse will short out soon. I don't want any of us caught on camera or tape."

"Yes Major Wheeler…" they said, pulling their helmets back on. The three Silencerz walked back to their vehicles and climbed in. starting the engines, they cloaked the cars and sped off down the road.

Mist groaned and opened her eyes. Swiftly she sat up, tucking her legs underneath her. This turned out to be a bad idea, as it made her stomach lurch. She had just enough time to lean forward before her breakfast made an appearance.

When she was done throwing up, she looked around. Someone had put a crude bandage on her shoulder, but she ripped it off and inspected the injury. It hadn't stopped bleeding yet, though the flow of blood had subsided somewhat. But that wasn't what she was concerned about. But it didn't appear that there were any trackers embedded in the hole. That was good. Climbing onto Flash Leopard, she revved the engine and tore off down the track.

In the Acceledrome, the other drivers were shocked when the screens switched back on, displaying the Swamp Realm, and then the familiar rough accent filled the room.

"How much time's left?" Nolo perked up as he heard this.

"Mist? Is that you?"

"Ya know anyone else racin in the Realm right now?"

"No. and in response to your question, you have ten minutes left." Nolo said. "What happened?"

"The Silencer caused me to crash. I must've passed out for a few minutes."

"Are you alright?" The Latino asked.

"No. my head hurts, I wrenched my shoulder when I crashed, and I'm seeing double of everything."

"Hit the EDR! There's no shame in loosing. You're hurt and outnumbered." Lani said. Mist shook her head.

"No. I'm not hurt that badly. I can still drive, and I need to stop the drones."

"But-" the connection was cut with a burst of static. Lani shook her head.

"She's going to get hurt even more!" she said.

In the Swamp Realm, Mist sped down the track, intent on finishing the Realm. She wasn't concerned about the Realm. After all, it wasn't as if this could get much worse. Then the Asian/Latino girl heard a roar. It was the swamp creature that guarded the portal. And with that roar, the vines started chasing after her. Mist was quickly caught and lifted from the track. She could see vines wrapped around three empty spaces, probably Silencerz. And more had captured racing drones. Plant monsters roared and tore drones in two, while a giant slug screamed at Mist. She recoiled from the creature, fanning the air from her face.

"Ugh." She groaned. "I have one word for ya buddy: Mouthwash." In response, the slug screamed again. Mist shrugged, then looked at it and the plant monsters moving in. "I'd like to stay and chat, but I got a Realm to race." With that, she used a hand to switch the tires to spike mode and gunned the engine, while simultaneously reaching down with the other hand and pulling out…

"Is that a knife?" Taro asked. Yes, it was indeed a knife, and Mist began slicing at the foliage that trapped her, while spinning her bike's wheels at the same time.

The result was instantaneous. The vines dropped her and she landed on the track. Switching the tires back to normal and stashing the knife in its sheath, Mist revved the engine and accelerated down the track.

"You can't make it Mist!" Lani cried.

"Oh ye of little faith." She replied, chuckling.

"Mist, you'll never get to the portal with the vines."

"I'll make it! If I stay in the groove." She muttered. The racer bent low over her bike and activated the nitrox. The blue flames shot out in the wake of the car, and she hit 300 mph. the vines were focusing on her now, and she swerved to avoid them. Back in the conference room, the drivers were stunned. Meanwhile, Nolo took off his headset and walked towards the door.

"I'm going to go meet Mist. I'm worried about her."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Recovery**

(Mist's POV)

This is bad. I'm racin on an inter-dimensional track, with vines chasing after me, and an engine that, judging from the noises it's making, will quit working soon. Estimated time until meltdown: 30 seconds.

I was wrong. This isn't bad. This is downright freakin crazy. Or awesome. Yeah, definitely awesome. What can I say, I love doing crazy things. That's just the kind of girl I am.

There is one good thing about the broken engine, though. I don't have any limit to my speed. Which is why I'm zooming along at 400 mph. but that also means I'll have more repairs to do later. If I'm still alive.

I duck a vine and force my thoughts out of my head. Think later, drive now. The portal is coming up, partially obscured by the living vines that are snaking across it. 500 feet…250…100…50…25…10…0

I hit the blue transporter and come out in the Acceledrome. Beside me a nucleus of green light shimmers into existence, gradually forming into an Accelecharger. I reach out and grab it, before propping my bike on its kickstand and climbing off. Someone is approaching behind me, and I turn to see who it is…

(Normal POV)

Nolo had run down to the bottom floor to greet Mist. And it looked like she had just arrived from the looks of it. The Latina had propped her smoking motorcycle on its kickstand and had grabbed the Accelecharger. Almost as if she heard my approach, she turned and grinned.

That grin quickly changed to a groan. Then her eyes closed and she toppled forward.

Nolo let out a startled cry and darted forward, catching Mist before she hit the floor. Tork rounded the corner and saw the whole thing, from Mist passing out to Nolo catching her. He sprinted over to the pair, noting the worried look on Nolo's face.

"Let's take her to the infirmary." He said. Nolo nodded and the two men ran off into the compound.

…...

Lani met the two at the door to the medical wing. Without missing a beat, she transferred the girl to a bed and began working on her shoulder.

"I know you two are worried about Mist." The islander said. "But I'll be able to work better if you two go someplace else." And with that, she pushed them out the door and locked it behind her. Nolo looked at the door for a minute before shoving his hands into his pockets and walking away. The other drivers ran up to the infirmary door.

"Is it true?" Kurt gasped out as they all caught their breath. "Is Mist injured." Tork nodded.

"Yeah, Nolo seemed pretty upset about it, too."

"I'll go talk to him." Karma offered. But Tork shook his head.

"I'll go." And with that, the African walked away.

…...

He found Nolo on top of the Mesa, glumly staring out at the California desert. The teen wasn't moving, just slumped on a rock, fiddling with the broken necklace he always wore. You could tell a lot about Nolo's mood from how he fiddled with his clothes. If he was angry or upset, he would twist the hemline of his shirt. If he was moody or self-conscious he would adjust his jacket. If he was thoughtful, he would fold the wrists of his jacket.

If he was depressed or worried, he fiddled with his necklace.

Tork guessed that playing with it was just a reflexive action. Nolo thinking about Tone. Bam! He started messing around with the necklace. Nolo worrying about his teammates. Bang! He started fiddling with the necklace. Nolo got depressed about Vert. Boom! He started playing with…you guessed it, his necklace. Tork didn't know why the Teku did it. He just did.

"Hey." Tork said as he walked over to the Latino. Nolo glanced at him before looking back out over the sands. Tork shrugged and sat. In times like this, it was best to wait for Nolo to start talking. He always did eventually spill what was bugging him.

"…I never should've let Mist go into the Swamp Realm by herself." He muttered. "She was inexperienced, and hadn't been in a real Realm before. Now she's hurt, and it's all my fault. I should've told her to stay out of the Realm."

Tork sighed. "I figured." He replied. "Look, don't let it get to you. Mist knew the risks. She knew she could escape any time she wanted. She chose to stay in the Realms. You shouldn't blame herself for her injuries, and I don't believe she blames you, either. Okay?"

"…Your right." Nolo said before standing up. "I shouldn't get down on myself like that. Thanks, Tork." Tork grinned and stood as well.

"Hey, that's what friends are for."

…...

Mist groaned and opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed, and for a minute, she wasn't sure where she was.

"Hey, you're awake." The Latina turned to see a girl in blue with a leather apron over it. Who was she again? Ela…Elaine…Lanie…Lani. Yeah, that was it.

"Lani?" Mist asked. "What happened? Where are we?" as she interrogated the islander, she sat up in bed, noticing a bandage over the shoulder that the mosquito had stabbed her. It hurt, a lot, and it would probably scar. Oh well, no big deal.

"We're in the infirmary of the Acceledrome." The Hawaiian native replied. "And to answer your question, you passed out after coming out of the Realm. Nolo and Tork brought you here. You've been knocked out for about three hours."

"What's the damage report?"

"You're shoulder has a pretty big hole in it. As for your head, you don't appear to have a concussion, but I would still be careful."

"Okay. Thanks fer bandaging up my injury. I'm outta here."

"But-" Lani began to protest, but Mist shook her head.

"I promise if I feel worse, I'll letcha know. Kay?"

"Fine." Lani sighed. "Everyone's eating supper now. They're in the dining hall."

"Kay, I'll go there." Mist replied. "Just lemme check on Flash Leopard first. D'ya know where it is?"

"Shirako took it to the Teku garage."

…...

The Teku were seated around one of the tables in the mess hall when Mist, carrying a tray, walked in.

"Yo, mind if I sit here?" she asked. The others responded that they were perfectly fine with her sitting with them. And Kurt pointed out that she was a Teku. She didn't need to ask to sit with her teammates. Mist grinned briefly before plopping down next to Nolo.

"You did a good job today, Mist." The Latino said.

"Thanks." She replied in between bites of her sandwich.

"You checked your bike yet?" Karma asked. Mist scowled.

"Yeah. It's a total loss. I'm gonna hafta rebuild it. Probably'll be a couplea days. No use getting worked up over it, though."

…...

(Mist's POV)

It's late. I know that much. My head still hurts from the crash. My shoulder, too, where the mosquito got me. Bet you five buck' I'll have some lovely bruises come morning. Oh well, I'll get over 'em.

I'm lying on my bed, in the room Tezla gave me. Lani was reluctant to let me out of the infirmary, but I was quite adamant about getting out of there. I ate some dinner, then went to bed after sketchin for a bit.

Now I'm lyin here on the mattress, my head on a pillow, blankets somewhere near my feet. I must've kicked them off me while I slept. My eyes are closed, and my hearing is fuzzy. It's no surprise, I'm half awake. And that's being generous.

With only a whisper of movement, the door opens. Then someone enters, and crosses over to the bed. I wanna open my eyes, to see who is payin me this midnight visit. I tense up, afraid at what approaches. I try to will my eyes to open. But I'm soo tired. G'night…

Wait, where am I? What happened? Oh yeah, I'm in bed at the Acceledrome. I must've fallen asleep for a few minutes. Someone's gently rubbing my back, a slow constant gentle motion. And I can hear someone – I think it's a guy, but I'm not certain. – murmuring something softly. I can't decipher it in my half-conscious state, and I think it's in a different language. Spanish, maybe? I really can't tell. But the words, along with the pressure on my back, calm me. And I know now that I have nothing to fear.

I don't know how long I remain there, caught between waking and sleeping. But when I do fall asleep, I can still faintly hear the voice, and the pressure on my back is still there.

…...

I wake in the early hours of the morning, like I always do. The door is closed, and the blankets are pulled up over me. That's odd, I could've sworn they were down by my feet in the middle of the night. And what happened, anyway. I vaguely recall someone coming into my room last night. But I don't know who. Maybe I just imagined the whole thing…


End file.
